Mikel Arteta has confirmed he expects William Saliba’s new Arsenal contract to be announced soon, praising the defender for his conduct in the face of transfer interest from Real Madrid.
It emerged earlier this week that Saliba has agreed the terms of a lucrative extension with Arsenal, finally putting an end to an ambitious pursuit from Real Madrid which has included speculation of record transfer bids and even a battle to land him on a free transfer in 2027.
Saliba had publicly expressed his desire to stay with Arsenal beyond the terms of his current deal, and Arteta admitted the 24-year-old had always taken the same stance behind the scenes during their private talks about Madrid’s interest.
“I was quite direct with him, because when you hear that noise—you can understand, players have feelings,” he told a press conference. “At the end, players have feelings, players have been educated in their families, maybe they are dreaming about something one day, and that’s a really natural thing to have.
“When I sat down with William, I asked him the question. He said, ‘No, I want to stay here, I want to play for you and I’m very happy’.”
Asked whether those conversations revolved around Madrid specifically, Arteta added: “In general, I didn’t want to be specific, but it was obvious with the amount of noise there was around certain clubs. We didn’t have to name many teams, but there are not that many that can come and get Willy out from us and him being happy to discuss it. He was clear and so transparent and honest from the beginning.”
Arteta: My Relationship With Saliba Has Flourished
For Arsenal fans, it is now a case of simply waiting for Saliba to put pen to paper and Arsenal to formalise his extension.
Hopefully it will be everyone in the world [confirming the new contract has been signed], Arsenal included, very soon,” Arteta beamed. “That’s what I’m hoping, but let’s leave the club to announce that when it’s all done.
“He’s been instrumental in everything we’ve done these last few years. It’s been great to see a lot of players willing to commit to the club. That means they are happy, they feel values and they see that it is the best opportunity for them to continue their careers and fulfil the ambition of the club.
“Very impressive, what he’s done at his age. His consistency, the way he’s progressed and matured as a person, he’s grown year after year. I think he’s built a partnership with Gabi [Magalhães] especially, but with the back line and the keeper that has given the best defensive record in the last three years, I think. He’s been pivotal to that.”
William Saliba’s Premier League Stats
- Appearances: 104
- Goals: 6
- Clean Sheets: 43
- Best PL finish: 2nd (2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25)
- Honours: Community Shield (2020, 2023)
Saliba is now one of Arteta’s most dependable players and the Gunners boss was happy to laugh at the contrast to the start of his tenure at Arsenal, which saw the pair clash over what Saliba saw as limited opportunities in the first team.
“The way we started our relationship, when probably we had different expectations or ideas of how we started to create the best pathway for him to fulfil his potential, at some point, we got to the same conclusion, we decided to work together and, from there, everything started to flourish,” Arteta reflected.
“It was clear the potential was there, it was about timing and, in my opinion, creating the right environment for him to deliver what he could do.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mikel Arteta Reveals William Saliba Talks Over Real Madrid Transfer.
